Customer Delivery Software Architect

About the role

Cisco Customer Experience (CX) is looking for a Customer Delivery Software Architect in Riyadh to lead the design and delivery of automation and AI-enabled solutions for a major service provider in Saudi Arabia. The role defines scalable software architectures that connect network infrastructure, operational systems, data platforms and business workflows, working with customer stakeholders and cross-functional Cisco teams. It is a software architecture role, not a network migration or product implementation role, and requires frequent onsite collaboration in Riyadh.

Key responsibilities

• Own the end-to-end software architecture for network automation, orchestration, assurance, observability and AI-enabled operational solutions.
• Translate business and operational requirements into architecture blueprints, technical roadmaps, integration patterns, data models, APIs and engineering backlogs.
• Design secure, modular, scalable solutions integrating network platforms with systems such as Cisco Crosswork.
• Establish engineering standards covering source control, automated testing, CI/CD, observability, documentation, release management, security and software lifecycle governance.
• Guide engineering teams through design and delivery, conduct architecture reviews and ensure implementations meet functional and non-functional requirements.
• Lead and influence global, cross-functional teams (PMs, PgMs, SDMs, CEs, TLs and customer stakeholders).
• Define approaches for applying AI and analytics to anomaly detection, operational insight, decision support and workflow automation.
• Build reusable frameworks and reference architectures, mentor engineers and strengthen software architecture capabilities across delivery teams.

Required profile

• Bachelor's degree with 12+ years of relevant experience, or master's with 8+ years, or PhD with 5+ years, or equivalent experience.
• Extensive experience designing and delivering enterprise-grade software, automation, orchestration or systems-integration solutions.
• Hands-on experience with Python or a comparable language, APIs, Git, automated testing, CI/CD, containers and modern development practices.
• Experience architecting solutions that integrate network infrastructure, operational platforms, telemetry, data and business workflows.
• Understanding of AI/ML concepts applied to automation, analytics and operational use cases.
• Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional engineering teams and communicate with technical and executive stakeholders.
• Preferred: experience in telecommunications or large-scale mission-critical environments, knowledge of network orchestration, assurance, observability and automation platforms, and experience establishing engineering governance and mentoring engineers.

Required skills

• Software architecture, distributed systems, API design, event-driven architectures, data modelling and integration patterns.
• Experience with Cisco NSO or comparable orchestration platforms, including service modelling, lifecycle management, device integration and reusable automation components.
• Preferred: cloud-native architectures, microservices, Kubernetes, streaming technologies, data platforms and AIOps.

What we offer

• Full-time, onsite position of 48 hours per week.
• Healthcare and insurance, employee stock purchase program, flexible spending benefit, flex and schooling allowances and more.